US2006022083A1PendingUtilityA1
Marking of objects for speed and spin measurements
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Sep 3, 2002Filed: Sep 3, 2003Published: Feb 2, 2006
Est. expirySep 3, 2022(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
A63B 69/36A63B 2243/0066A63B 24/0021G06T 2207/30221G06T 7/254A63B 2208/12A63B 43/00A63B 2243/0025A63B 2024/0034G06T 7/73A63B 2220/35G01P 3/685A63B 45/02
43
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Claims
Abstract
A system for measuring the flight of a projectile, comprising: a projectile comprising an exterior surface and a set of orientation identifiers distributed over the exterior surface, such that, for every orientation of the projectile, there exists, from any fixed perspective, a unique viewable configuration of a sub-set of the identifiers; means for capturing a first image of the surface of the projectile at a first time, the first image including a first configuration of a first sub-set of the orientation identifiers; means for determining the orientation of the projectile from the first configuration; means for capturing a second image of the surface of the projectile at a second time, the second image including a second configuration of a second sub-set of the orientation identifiers; means for determining the orientation of the projectile from the second configuration; and means for determining the rotational velocity of the projectile in flight from its orientation at the first time and its orientation at the second time. Also describes a method of determining the placement of orientation identifiers on the exterior surface of a projectile. A random set of dots or coloured tessellated panels is checked to determine ambiguities in orientation determination, and the set of identifiers is reduced as far as possible in an iterative cycle.
Claims
exact text as granted — not AI-modified1 - 47 . (canceled)
48 . A system for measuring the flight of a projectile, comprising:
a projectile comprising an exterior surface and a set of orientation identifiers distributed over the exterior surface, such that, for every orientation of the projectile, there exists, from any fixed perspective, a unique viewable configuration of a sub-set of the identifiers; means for capturing a first image of the surface of the projectile at a first time, the first image including a first configuration of a first sub-set of the orientation identifiers; means for determining the orientation of the projectile from the first configuration; means for capturing a second image of the surface of the projectile at a second time, the second image including a second configuration of a second sub-set of the orientation identifiers; means for determining the orientation of the projectile from the second configuration; and means for determining the rotational velocity of the projectile in flight from its orientation at the first time and its orientation at the second time.
49 . A system as claimed in claim 48 , further comprising means for determining the translation velocity of the projectile from the first and second images.
50 . A system as claimed in claim 48 , comprising a processor for providing means for determining the orientation of the projectile from a configuration of a sub-set of the orientation identifiers.
51 . A record carrier embodying a computer program comprising computer program instructions that when loaded into a computer provide means for determining the orientation of a projectile from a given configuration of a sub-set of the orientation identifiers, wherein the projectile comprises an exterior surface and a set of orientation identifiers distributed over the exterior surface, such that, for every orientation of the projectile, there exists, from any fixed perspective, a unique viewable configuration of a sub-set of the identifiers.
52 . A method of determining the placement of orientation identifiers on the exterior surface of a projectile, comprising:
a) defining an initial set of identifiers; b) distributing the set of identifiers over the surface of a simulated projectile; c) testing the existence of unique configurations of viewable identifiers for different orientations of the simulated projectile; d) adapting the distribution of identifiers, if the test fails, otherwise, simplifying the set of identifiers and returning to step b); and e) terminating the method.
53 . A method as claimed in claim 52 , wherein the projectile is simulated using a polygonal mesh that approximates the surface of the projectile.
54 . A method as claimed in claim 52 , wherein the step of testing comprises testing the existence of a unique configuration of a sub-set of the viewable identifiers for each orientation of the simulated projectile.
55 . A method as claimed in claim 52 , wherein the step of testing comprises running the following process a specified number of times:
(i) determining a random orientation; (ii) determining, for that orientation, the configuration of a sub-set of viewable identifiers; (iii) calculating a measure of the configuration of the sub-set of viewable identifiers; (iv) comparing the calculated measure with measures of the configurations of similar sub-sets of viewable identifiers for different orientations (v) return to (i), wherein the test fails if there are positive comparisons.
56 . A method as claimed in claim 52 , wherein the step of adapting the distribution of identifiers comprises the random movement of one identifier.
57 . A method as claimed in claim 52 , wherein the step of simplifying the set of identifiers comprises reducing the number of identifiers.
58 . A method as claimed in claim 52 , wherein the set of identifiers comprises the colors of tessellating panels of the projectile.
59 . A method as claimed in claim 58 , wherein the step of distributing the set of identifiers comprises randomly distributing the colors over the panels.
60 . A method as claimed in claim 58 , wherein test fails if there is the same configuration of viewable identifiers for different orientations of the simulated projectile.
61 . A method as claimed in claim 58 , wherein the step of adapting the distribution of identifiers comprises the random change of the color of a panel.
62 . A method as claimed in claim 58 , wherein the step of simplifying the set of identifiers comprises a reduction in the number of colors used to color the tessellating panels of the projectile.
63 . A record carrier embodying a computer program for performing the method of determining the placement of orientation identifiers on the exterior surface of a projectile, comprising:
a) defining an initial set of identifiers; b) distributing the set of identifiers over the surface of a simulated projectile; c) testing the existence of unique configurations of viewable identifiers for different orientations of the simulated projectile; d) adapting the distribution of identifiers, if the test fails, otherwise, simplifying the set of identifiers and returning to step b); and e) terminating the method.
64 . A projectile comprising an exterior surface and a minimal set of orientation identifiers distributed over the exterior surface, such that, for every orientation of the projectile, there exists, from any fixed perspective, a unique viewable configuration of a sub-set of the identifiers.
65 . A projectile as claimed in claim 64 , comprising a plurality of colored tessellating panels having a minimal number of different colors.
66 . A projectile as claimed in claim 65 , comprising 32 tessellating panels distributed over the exterior surface of the projectile according to the following table:
Panel
Number
Neighbouring Panels
Pentagons
1
29
27
28
14
13
2
28
22
21
15
14
3
14
15
16
17
13
4
13
17
31
30
29
5
26
24
27
29
30
6
31
32
25
26
30
7
20
19
21
22
23
8
20
23
24
26
25
9
24
23
22
28
27
10
18
32
31
17
16
11
20
25
32
18
19
12
21
19
18
16
15
Hexagons
13
29
1
14
3
17
4
14
1
28
2
15
3
13
15
14
2
21
12
16
3
16
17
3
15
12
18
10
17
4
13
3
16
10
31
18
10
16
12
19
11
32
19
18
12
21
7
20
11
20
25
11
19
7
23
8
21
7
19
12
15
2
22
22
23
7
21
2
28
9
23
8
20
7
22
9
24
24
26
8
23
9
27
5
25
32
11
20
8
26
6
26
6
25
8
24
5
30
27
5
24
9
28
1
29
28
1
27
9
22
2
14
29
30
5
27
1
13
4
30
6
26
5
29
4
31
31
32
6
30
4
17
10
32
11
25
6
31
10
18
67 . A projectile as claimed in claim 66 , wherein 5 different colors are assigned to the 32 tessellating panels according to the following table:
Panel
No.
Color
Pentagons
1
4
2
4
3
4
4
5
5
5
6
5
7
5
8
3
9
3
10
1
11
5
12
5
Hexagons
13
1
14
5
15
1
16
3
17
2
18
4
19
3
20
1
21
2
22
1
23
2
24
4
25
4
26
2
27
1
28
2
29
2
30
4
31
3
32
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